St. Louis Community College considers layoffs or employee buyouts

St. Louis Community College considers layoffs or employee buyouts

ST. LOUIS, MO – St. Louis Community College considers another round of employee buyouts or it may be forced to layoff nearly 18 percent of its faculty, a recently released draft report states.

The cash strapped St. Louis Community College system says they need to cut costs due budget costs from the Missouri governor’s office and declining enrollment.

Enrollment is down by more than 10,000 students since 2011 and down 200 students since last year. Currently, there are about 18,800 students enrolled on the four campuses.

State funds for the college were cut by more than $5 million for this year according to school officials. According to the draft report, the school system could face a nearly $13 million deficit by 2020.

One hundred seventeen employees accepted a buyout package earlier this year. A second round of voluntary buyouts could prevent the need to cut 70 full-time faculty positions and 25 non-faculty members.

For now, a tuition increase is not being considered. A public hearing on the proposed cuts will be held November 14, 2017, at 6:00pm at the college’s Cosand Center on South Broadway in downtown St. Louis. The board of trustees is expected to make a final decision on the cuts at its regularly scheduled meeting November 30.